Castellón golfer Josele Ballester shot a round of 12 under par at the LIV tournament in Virginia, coming just one birdie short of achieving a round under sixty strokes, a record reserved for the elite of world golf. His performance, described as exceptional, placed him on the threshold of a historic milestone.
Data and statistics of a nearly perfect round 🏌️
Ballester's round, with a total of 59 strokes, was built on impeccable drive control and accuracy on mid-range putts. According to tracking data, he sank seven consecutive birdies on the first nine holes and added two eagles on the back nine. The only mistake came on the 17th hole, where a three-meter putt lipped out. His strokes gained metric was +8.2, a figure only achieved in 0.3% of professional rounds.
The impossible birdie, or how the 17th hole said no ⛳
Josele had everything in his favor: the wind, the green, the crowd, and even the caddie who whispered that the putt would drop. But the 17th hole, with that nasty streak that obstacles have, decided that the Castellón native would not join the 59 club. In the end, Ballester had to settle for signing a card that in any other tournament would earn him free dinner for life. At the LIV, at least, he earned the respect of the purists.